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You may not know much about him, but if you are a regular follower of this blog you've had to listen to me bang on and on and on and on and on and on about what a fantastic keeper he his. If you have no idea why I haven't shut up about this, I give you Wojciech Szczesny (Chesney for short:)
Monday, February 8, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.36
Caption 1.36 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Jesus Supports The Arsenal
Exclusive LadyArse Tshirt - Jesus Supports The Arsenal (black Tshirt) now available in limited quantities:
LadyArse On Caught Offside
Yes indeedy folks, the Empire is spreading. You can now catch 'reaction' pieces by yours truly on the Caught Offside Website
The first one is live, short and sweet...but comment and make me look poular lol
The weekly In The Stands piece should be up any time now, it was submitted last night so not sure what the delay is.
The first one is live, short and sweet...but comment and make me look poular lol
The weekly In The Stands piece should be up any time now, it was submitted last night so not sure what the delay is.
Better Team Loses....Again
I have struggled for some time to come up with words to fill this blog. I am not furious, I am not disgusted, I am not even disappointed. Numb maybe, I'm not sure.
Resigned, I think that's it. I genuinely thought we WOULD win the title this year, now I know we COULD, but I'm not feeling so optimistic. I know it's a monumental ask and one that's out of our hands.
Again, I spent hours post-match trying to talk people out of the most ridiculous nonsense:
"When will he admit his youth project has been a flop?" I don't think it has, and we will truly see the benefit of it when UEFA's financial fair play regulations come and are already benefiting now.
"Why the fuck didn't he buy anyone, he hasn't a clue" Urm, yes he does, he tried, he couldn't, that happens. Deal with it and shut the fuck up about it.
"What's your verdict on Wenger now, will you accept that he only survives in his job because of his history?" My verdict on Wenger is as it's been, I believe in what he's doing and I'm willing to give him the time to do it. His history has bought him that time, no doubt, but why wouldn't it? Consistent Champions League qualification, semi and quarter finals is obviously proof that he's a shit manger who's past it. Not. Knob.
"What do you watch Arsenal for-their financial stability or their football?" I watch for the football, but without the stability there will be no football, can't you see what this team will be like very soon?
"Winning anything full stop should be the mentality as the CL takes luck and talent to win. I think you have to go for it all" Winning full stop is why Man U owe £716m, Liverpool owe £400m and Portsmouth are going bust.
"The same broke united who put 3past us last weekend? i cant see the benefit." They're broke and still spending, in 10 years time they will be selling Old Trafford and their training ground, is that what you want? Do you not see how what Wenger is putting in place will win us same amount of trophies as Man U but without the debt?
"Why won't he just spend, spend, spend so we can win something?" Because long-term financial security is worth more than all the trophies in the world.
"You're an optimist, I'll give you that" Well, no, I'm a realist. I can see the bigger picture. Yes we are a few players short, that wouldn't be so noticeable if VP was fit. I don't follow Wenger blindly, I would be the first to stand up and say if I thought he was being an Arse, but I 'get' his masterplan, I can see it clearly and see how close it is to fruition. What that means for the long-term success of this club is greater than I think most people realise.
"But what about the money you get for winning the cups?" That's peanuts compared to the Champions League.
Can you imagine the bitching if we crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages, or, worse still, didn't even qualify, but won the League Cup? Don't know about you but I would be fucking furious if he prioritised anything apart from the league over the Champions League. It is a sad fact, but it is one in this changing world that a hell of a lot of you are going to have to get your head around very fucking quickly.
"But but but but but but but but but but"
"But what if this happens?" "But what if that happens" But what if this happens?" "But what if that happens?" But what if the fucking sky falls in for fuck sake.
It's like there's Arsenal fans who aren't actually happy unless they can find something with which to slag Wenger or Arsenal over.
You can't live in the land of big buts and maybes. You live here, now, with an eye on the future, and you hope that whoever pulls on the Arsenal shirt gives 100% in the remaining games. You idiots with your narrow fucking trophy-obsessed brains. If we'd done it your way we'd be bankrupt, because here's what you get for your precious cups -
Prize money:
Resigned, I think that's it. I genuinely thought we WOULD win the title this year, now I know we COULD, but I'm not feeling so optimistic. I know it's a monumental ask and one that's out of our hands.
Again, I spent hours post-match trying to talk people out of the most ridiculous nonsense:
"When will he admit his youth project has been a flop?" I don't think it has, and we will truly see the benefit of it when UEFA's financial fair play regulations come and are already benefiting now.
"Why the fuck didn't he buy anyone, he hasn't a clue" Urm, yes he does, he tried, he couldn't, that happens. Deal with it and shut the fuck up about it.
"What's your verdict on Wenger now, will you accept that he only survives in his job because of his history?" My verdict on Wenger is as it's been, I believe in what he's doing and I'm willing to give him the time to do it. His history has bought him that time, no doubt, but why wouldn't it? Consistent Champions League qualification, semi and quarter finals is obviously proof that he's a shit manger who's past it. Not. Knob.
"What do you watch Arsenal for-their financial stability or their football?" I watch for the football, but without the stability there will be no football, can't you see what this team will be like very soon?
"Winning anything full stop should be the mentality as the CL takes luck and talent to win. I think you have to go for it all" Winning full stop is why Man U owe £716m, Liverpool owe £400m and Portsmouth are going bust.
"The same broke united who put 3past us last weekend? i cant see the benefit." They're broke and still spending, in 10 years time they will be selling Old Trafford and their training ground, is that what you want? Do you not see how what Wenger is putting in place will win us same amount of trophies as Man U but without the debt?
"Why won't he just spend, spend, spend so we can win something?" Because long-term financial security is worth more than all the trophies in the world.
"You're an optimist, I'll give you that" Well, no, I'm a realist. I can see the bigger picture. Yes we are a few players short, that wouldn't be so noticeable if VP was fit. I don't follow Wenger blindly, I would be the first to stand up and say if I thought he was being an Arse, but I 'get' his masterplan, I can see it clearly and see how close it is to fruition. What that means for the long-term success of this club is greater than I think most people realise.
"But what about the money you get for winning the cups?" That's peanuts compared to the Champions League.
Can you imagine the bitching if we crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages, or, worse still, didn't even qualify, but won the League Cup? Don't know about you but I would be fucking furious if he prioritised anything apart from the league over the Champions League. It is a sad fact, but it is one in this changing world that a hell of a lot of you are going to have to get your head around very fucking quickly.
"But but but but but but but but but but"
"But what if this happens?" "But what if that happens" But what if this happens?" "But what if that happens?" But what if the fucking sky falls in for fuck sake.
It's like there's Arsenal fans who aren't actually happy unless they can find something with which to slag Wenger or Arsenal over.
You can't live in the land of big buts and maybes. You live here, now, with an eye on the future, and you hope that whoever pulls on the Arsenal shirt gives 100% in the remaining games. You idiots with your narrow fucking trophy-obsessed brains. If we'd done it your way we'd be bankrupt, because here's what you get for your precious cups -
Prize money:
Carling Cup - £100,000 (one hundred thousand for those who have problems with 'large' numbers)
FA Cup - £1.8m
Champions League Qualification - £6.2m
Get it yet?
DO YOU FUCKING GET IT YET?
So what do you want? An FA Cup at any cost? A Carling Cup? You want us to risk injuries in a cup worth £100,000? Put £6.2m at risk for the chance to pick up a cup? You obviously have no clue of the new world we live in where the only trophies which matter are the ones which are worth the most. Such is the price of football these days.
DO YOU FUCKING GET IT YET?
So what do you want? An FA Cup at any cost? A Carling Cup? You want us to risk injuries in a cup worth £100,000? Put £6.2m at risk for the chance to pick up a cup? You obviously have no clue of the new world we live in where the only trophies which matter are the ones which are worth the most. Such is the price of football these days.
OK, so I'll give you that we're not winning the ones that matter yet. But neither are 18 other clubs in the league. One Premier League, 20 teams. One Champions League, 32 teams. Perspective anyone?
And then you have so-called professionals like John Cross from the Mirror, a supposed Arsenal fan, saying:
"Arsenal boss Wenger not very gracious in defeat you'll be surprised to learn. Said Arsenal had more possession, didn't deserve to lose"
We DID have more possession and we DIDN'T deserve to lose, but I guess Wenger can't even state facts when we lose now without being called 'ungracious' or 'arrogant'.
And that's when I think I started to get it. There are a lot of Arsenal fans out there who really don't have a clue what Wenger is doing at Arsenal. They see nothing beyond the end of this week and have no concept of building an 'empire' to dominate for years. They would be happy win this year, nothing for three, win again. What Wenger is offering us in return for our faith and patience is win EVERY year. I believe that's worth the gamble. Don't you? You'd think we were fighting relegation the way some of these 'fans' get on.
I can see how close this team are, the tiny pieces which are missing, and I know nothing can be done about it til the summer. I'll just have to wait.
But I am getting fed up being the better team and losing, but Wenger made me smile by being the only manager clever enough to give Chelsea a compliment with one hand, then snatch it away with the other:
"You have to congratulate Chelsea. We didn't get a demonstration of football but they were efficient"
On the flip side, the boys played well. They really lifted themselves for this match in a way that we only hoped they could. With no spearhead, no striker, we just could not find a way through.
Almunia had nothing to do, which is probably just as well. When Drogba cracked the bar from about 25 yards out I said before he took it 'even Almunia will see that coming from that distance.' I was wrong. He might not have been at fault for the second goal, but you do have to wonder why he chose to sit down, once again, as Drogba drove it home. Stand up and it probably hits him. Instead, he crouched and put his hands over his face. Just about sums him up really.
The marking for the first? Blah, I don't even think about that.
But that was all Chelsea had. It wasn't like United last week where we were split at will. Song and Vermaelen were defensive rocks, and Theo's performance was so far above the level we've come to expect of him recently that it was very pleasing to see. His work in defence was very impressive.
Arshavin? Needs to learn to go TO THE BALL. Far too many times did he stand waiting for it to be delivered to his feet for a Chelsea defender to simply step forward and take it away from him. His work rate is questionable, and we don't seem able to defend from the front with him up there, though perhaps that's not overly surprising.
Nasri had another great game and he's a player that is severely underrated. He fights and works hard and the criticism of him recently has been unfair at best, cruel at worst. He drives at defences and injects urgency in to the side.
Diaby was back and did well, though he wasn't the powerhouse we all turned him in to while he was injured. Cesc didn't get the space he needed, but what a difference it would have made if his pinpoint pass to Arshavin had been slotted home instead of driven straight at Cech.
Nik was lively when he came on, but often he would be found on the wing when we needed him to be in the middle.
Cech and Drogba. Goalkeeper and striker. They were the only difference today.
Tippy tappy v Bang Bang. Though there we a few other factors according to Wenger:
"I am completely happy with our performance and the spirit we have shown. For me, as much as we didn't turn up against Manchester United, today we had the expected performance. We were still a bit uncertain at the start of the game. When you went into it we were completely dominant. That's how I explain that we conceded the first corner. Incidentally I would like to check if before the corner it was a free-kick for Chelsea, I would like to see that.
"I always thought we would come back, I always had that feeling today. But you have to give them credit, they defended very well, they are very experienced at the back. They make the foul at the right time when they are caught on the counter-attack. The little push with the shirt, it is not enough to get a yellow card. They have a lot of tricks of a very experienced team and they do that very well. Overall we tried very hard today and the team gave absolutely everything. Sometimes when you lose you have to acknowledge that with your team."
I don't subscribe to the theory that our season is over, far from it. There is no reason why we can't win our last 13 matches. And lets not forget the Champions League. If not first in the league, then why not second? Why not? Would that be a disaster? If you said yes you have obviously forgotten the predictions for Arsenal before the season started.
With the title pressure allegedly off, who knows what might happen. If, as Arsene says, the pressure gets to the players, that's gone. Maybe we'll start scoring again.
But I do feel sorry for the lads. They gave everything and it just wasn't enough. You can't blame them for that.
We can't even blame Denilson, he wasn't on the pitch.
Quite simply, once again, we were superior, we got the reaction, we fought, we hassled, we harried, and we got picked off on the break. We have areas which are weak, that is beyond doubt, we need to improve. Rehashing them over and over and over won't do anything to fix them. I'm not ignoring them, I'm just not going to torture myself with something that is obviously not going to change in the forseeable future. You can accept it or you can drive yourself crazy. It's your choice.
I don't actually know what else to say. What is there to say that hasn't been said one hundred times before? So close, yet so far away.
We just need a little bit more patience for a little while longer. Almunia will not be number one next season. VP will be back and we will bring in cover. Anyone who is throwing their toys out of the pram, step back and look at the bigger picture. Yes Wenger promised us trophies at the start of the season, but did he reckon we would lose half the squad to injury? Don't say you can't blame injuries, off course you can. So now you say Wenger should have bought. He tried, he couldn't get anyone. Why? I don't know, but he couldn't. We have to accept that and move on from it. The window is closed and what we've got is all we're going to have.
If you want a club prepared to risk its long-term future for the sake of a quick fix at an inflated price, then go an follow the Spuds and think you are somebody when you win the Carling Cup. See how far your £100,000 gets you, use it to pay Jermaine Jenas's wages for a fortnight.
I understand the frustration of Arsenal fans, I'm one myself afterall. I know Wenger should have brought people in, he knows it too. But he didn't. I know we have an amazing squad, when they're fit. Don't tell me this is about depth, we have more than enough depth (apart from in Almunia & Song's position), and I know that there will come a day very, very, very soon when this team will start to deliver.
Striker, keeper, defensive coach - we're sorted.
And in the summer it will be. For now, we just have to put our heads down, win what we've got left, and go hell for leather in the Champions League.
Still in the Champions League, third in the Premier League, and a solvent club with players almost all back from injury. Hardly a disaster is it?
This team that Wenger is building will dominate for years and the club will just get stronger financially while others crumble
Patience people, patience.
And then you have so-called professionals like John Cross from the Mirror, a supposed Arsenal fan, saying:
"Arsenal boss Wenger not very gracious in defeat you'll be surprised to learn. Said Arsenal had more possession, didn't deserve to lose"
We DID have more possession and we DIDN'T deserve to lose, but I guess Wenger can't even state facts when we lose now without being called 'ungracious' or 'arrogant'.
And that's when I think I started to get it. There are a lot of Arsenal fans out there who really don't have a clue what Wenger is doing at Arsenal. They see nothing beyond the end of this week and have no concept of building an 'empire' to dominate for years. They would be happy win this year, nothing for three, win again. What Wenger is offering us in return for our faith and patience is win EVERY year. I believe that's worth the gamble. Don't you? You'd think we were fighting relegation the way some of these 'fans' get on.
I can see how close this team are, the tiny pieces which are missing, and I know nothing can be done about it til the summer. I'll just have to wait.
But I am getting fed up being the better team and losing, but Wenger made me smile by being the only manager clever enough to give Chelsea a compliment with one hand, then snatch it away with the other:
"You have to congratulate Chelsea. We didn't get a demonstration of football but they were efficient"
On the flip side, the boys played well. They really lifted themselves for this match in a way that we only hoped they could. With no spearhead, no striker, we just could not find a way through.
Almunia had nothing to do, which is probably just as well. When Drogba cracked the bar from about 25 yards out I said before he took it 'even Almunia will see that coming from that distance.' I was wrong. He might not have been at fault for the second goal, but you do have to wonder why he chose to sit down, once again, as Drogba drove it home. Stand up and it probably hits him. Instead, he crouched and put his hands over his face. Just about sums him up really.
The marking for the first? Blah, I don't even think about that.
But that was all Chelsea had. It wasn't like United last week where we were split at will. Song and Vermaelen were defensive rocks, and Theo's performance was so far above the level we've come to expect of him recently that it was very pleasing to see. His work in defence was very impressive.
Arshavin? Needs to learn to go TO THE BALL. Far too many times did he stand waiting for it to be delivered to his feet for a Chelsea defender to simply step forward and take it away from him. His work rate is questionable, and we don't seem able to defend from the front with him up there, though perhaps that's not overly surprising.
Nasri had another great game and he's a player that is severely underrated. He fights and works hard and the criticism of him recently has been unfair at best, cruel at worst. He drives at defences and injects urgency in to the side.
Diaby was back and did well, though he wasn't the powerhouse we all turned him in to while he was injured. Cesc didn't get the space he needed, but what a difference it would have made if his pinpoint pass to Arshavin had been slotted home instead of driven straight at Cech.
Nik was lively when he came on, but often he would be found on the wing when we needed him to be in the middle.
Cech and Drogba. Goalkeeper and striker. They were the only difference today.
Tippy tappy v Bang Bang. Though there we a few other factors according to Wenger:
"I am completely happy with our performance and the spirit we have shown. For me, as much as we didn't turn up against Manchester United, today we had the expected performance. We were still a bit uncertain at the start of the game. When you went into it we were completely dominant. That's how I explain that we conceded the first corner. Incidentally I would like to check if before the corner it was a free-kick for Chelsea, I would like to see that.
"I always thought we would come back, I always had that feeling today. But you have to give them credit, they defended very well, they are very experienced at the back. They make the foul at the right time when they are caught on the counter-attack. The little push with the shirt, it is not enough to get a yellow card. They have a lot of tricks of a very experienced team and they do that very well. Overall we tried very hard today and the team gave absolutely everything. Sometimes when you lose you have to acknowledge that with your team."
I don't subscribe to the theory that our season is over, far from it. There is no reason why we can't win our last 13 matches. And lets not forget the Champions League. If not first in the league, then why not second? Why not? Would that be a disaster? If you said yes you have obviously forgotten the predictions for Arsenal before the season started.
With the title pressure allegedly off, who knows what might happen. If, as Arsene says, the pressure gets to the players, that's gone. Maybe we'll start scoring again.
But I do feel sorry for the lads. They gave everything and it just wasn't enough. You can't blame them for that.
We can't even blame Denilson, he wasn't on the pitch.
Quite simply, once again, we were superior, we got the reaction, we fought, we hassled, we harried, and we got picked off on the break. We have areas which are weak, that is beyond doubt, we need to improve. Rehashing them over and over and over won't do anything to fix them. I'm not ignoring them, I'm just not going to torture myself with something that is obviously not going to change in the forseeable future. You can accept it or you can drive yourself crazy. It's your choice.
I don't actually know what else to say. What is there to say that hasn't been said one hundred times before? So close, yet so far away.
We just need a little bit more patience for a little while longer. Almunia will not be number one next season. VP will be back and we will bring in cover. Anyone who is throwing their toys out of the pram, step back and look at the bigger picture. Yes Wenger promised us trophies at the start of the season, but did he reckon we would lose half the squad to injury? Don't say you can't blame injuries, off course you can. So now you say Wenger should have bought. He tried, he couldn't get anyone. Why? I don't know, but he couldn't. We have to accept that and move on from it. The window is closed and what we've got is all we're going to have.
If you want a club prepared to risk its long-term future for the sake of a quick fix at an inflated price, then go an follow the Spuds and think you are somebody when you win the Carling Cup. See how far your £100,000 gets you, use it to pay Jermaine Jenas's wages for a fortnight.
I understand the frustration of Arsenal fans, I'm one myself afterall. I know Wenger should have brought people in, he knows it too. But he didn't. I know we have an amazing squad, when they're fit. Don't tell me this is about depth, we have more than enough depth (apart from in Almunia & Song's position), and I know that there will come a day very, very, very soon when this team will start to deliver.
Striker, keeper, defensive coach - we're sorted.
And in the summer it will be. For now, we just have to put our heads down, win what we've got left, and go hell for leather in the Champions League.
Still in the Champions League, third in the Premier League, and a solvent club with players almost all back from injury. Hardly a disaster is it?
This team that Wenger is building will dominate for years and the club will just get stronger financially while others crumble
Patience people, patience.
It really is all just around the corner.
And so are Liverpool.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.35
Caption 1.35 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Babies Day Out
So Sunday is finally here. Very soon we'll all be off to the Bridge. What will happen when we get there, I have no clue. Which Arsenal will turn up? The one who can more than hold its own or the one which believes it isn't good enough to beat teams like Chelsea of Man U?
Your guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, let's look at some other stuff and work up to the whole Chelsea 'thing’, mainly because I have a whole random pile of nonsense already written.
Much has been made about how well David Moyes has done at Everton with limited resources and a huge amount of injuries. How much do you think he would be lauded if he managed to maintain a top four position for 13 years? Why he'd be a national hero wouldn't he? Keeping a club in the top four while not breaking the bank? Well that's exactly what Wenger has done, and the fact that since 1992 Everton have an average season spend which is almost twice that of Arsenal (£3m v £1.7m), it not only makes you realise what an amazing achievement Wenger has managed to pull off, you also realise that he gets nothing near the kudos he would get if he was British.
I made a statement yesterday morning when someone lumped Arsenal in with City, Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea for spending way too much and ruining it for everyone else that Arsenal weren't even in the top half of the spending table. It was a guess, but luckily I was right. Doubt me?
It made it even sweeter that the guy bitching was an Everton fan. Backtrack much? You better believe he did.
Can you imagine Ferguson, Benitez, or whoever happens to be the manger at Chelsea maintaining our position with our level of spending? Every team above us in that table, the top 3 aside, have failed to even break in to the top 4. Where would United and Chelsea be without the massive spending? And look where Liverpool are with theirs.
I knew Wenger was frugal, but this has really brought home what an absurdly magnificent job he has done.
Don't even start with the 'but if he'd just spent a little bit more think where we would be,' I'm not in the mood to go in to the whole 'injury' saga to shut you up.
As you may have noticed yesterday I posted regarding Chamakh deciding he wants to join Arsenal in the summer when he becomes a free agent. For free I reckon we take him, though what does that mean up front? Do we have to see Eduardo, Vela, or Bendtner leave?
I read somewhere that Wenger had considered sending Dudu out on loan to Italy (a less physical league) to try and regain his confidence but his recent injuries scuppered that. I like the sound of that, bring in Chamakh, send Eduardo to Italy for a year, then bring him back when he's back to his usual self.
But enough randomness, it's time to face the match today. How do I feel it will go? I haven't a clue. Reports are coming out of Stamford Bridge that John Terry is as distracted as he's ever going to be, will we be able to take advantage? Will we be able to handle Drogba? Will Arshavin work? Can Cesc get free of whatever shackles Ancelotti tries to bind him with? So many questions. Part of me thinks we'll win, part of me just wants it over with, hoping the psychological impact won't be too huge.
So how are we likely to line up?
Well, unfortunately, despite my conviction mid-week that we'd seen the last of the Spanish Waiter, it seems as if he will start. That's backed up by the articles on the Arsenal.com site by Wenger stating that Almunia doesn't help himself with all the extra pressure he puts himself under. Seriously? All that article tells me is that Arsene knows he's crap, knows the fans know he's crap, and is simply laying the ground for him fucking up later today. I'm sorry Arsene, but that's a load of bollocks. When good players put pressure on themselves it doesn't make them incapable of judging the flight of a ball, or the run of it from a back-pass. You know me, you know I defend Wenger 99% of the time. When he says stuff like this, I just can't:
"In England it is even harder. The difference is the goalkeeper is always in the negative publicity. If a striker misses two chances and scores two, he is a hero. If a goalkeeper has a fantastic game and makes one mistake, he is a villain."
That is not true. If Almunia was making wonderful saves and only the odd mistake he would not be the villain, it is because he makes mistakes with everything he does. According to the Telegraph we won't be seeing Fabianski because he had a horrible time against Chelsea last year. Hmmm, excuse me, but didn't Almunia have a horrible time with them this year? They also said we tried to sign Sorenson from Stoke but failed on deadline day. I'm sure that helps ALmunia's confidence no end. Grrr it gets me so mad but I'll leave it for know and see how he gets on. God fucking help him if he has another game like a blind, epileptic sloth.
The back-four picks itself, and then we enter the realms of 'who the hell knows.' It has been made pretty clear that Bendtner isn't ready to start matches, so he's on the bench. Diaby was supposed to have a fitness test yesterday, but rather than let us know how that went, Arsenal would rather fill the website with nonsense about how the loss to Man U was because we hadn't got over the humiliation in the Champions League at the hands of Man U last season.
I'm pretty sure we're going to be seeing the same team which lined up last weekend v Man U. Yes, that does mean Denilson. I would love to say we'll mix things up and give Theo a chance, but I can't see it.
Some are chosing to prepare the ground for a Wenger beating should we fail to win anything this season, after all, he promised we would, But do you really think he could have forseen our injuries? Then he should have bought in January you say? He tried. It isn't always as easy as saying 'just buy someone.' If you think it is, you need your head examined. Would we be out of the FA Cup if we had less injured players and had been able to field a stronger team at Stoke? Probably not and there is the fine line between success and failure that this Arsenal team is walking. And don't you dare tell me it wouldn't be the same for Chelsea if they lost Ashley Cole, John Terry, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and a few others, or even if United only lost Rooney.
Why am I talking about this now? Because I honestly can't do a preview of a match which scares the bejebus out of me. I was full of faith, hope, and confidence as we headed in to the match against Man U. I don't have that today.
In other news, I may be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure that the only reason Jack was allowed to go to Bolton on loan was because he was being guaranteed some football time. 180 minutes have now passed and Jack has played exactly none of those. What detriment is being done to him having to train with those savages without getting the benefit of some match time we can only guess. Bring him home Wenger and tell Coyle to shove it up his bolt-hole.
Gilbert, Randall, and Hoyte were also unused subs (good to see they're getting what they're there for) while Jay Simpson got 25 minutes at the end of the match and saw his QPR side reduced to nine before the end of the 90.
Elsewhere, Arsenal Number 1 in waiting, Chesney, was the star of the show again for Brentford, keeping another clean sheet, while Henry Lansbury got a full 90 as lone striker for Watford as they won 1-0.
And that's your lot.
Bring the Chavs on, let the chips fall where they may, and let's hope, come 6pm we're all at least in one piece.
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Your stats round-up:
Liverpool received their fifth red card yesterday in the Merseyside Derby - more than any other team in the league. That's an average of once every five games and are on taget to have 7/8 by the end of the season. Arsenal are the only team in the league not to have had a red card this season. Do you ever hear about it? I'm just saying...
The longest Arsenal have gone all season without conceding is 316 matches between December 15th and 30th. So it is possible even if it feels highly improbable. (@OptaJoe)
9 - "Own Goals" is now Man Utd's second-highest scorer in the PL this season, with 1 more than Berbatov (8) (@OptaJoe)
Harry Redknapp thinks The Spuds can finish in third position, overhauling Arsenal to get there. The stats show that is only a matter of time until St. Totteringham's day. Muppet.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.34
Caption 1.34 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
An updated league is below as Mohammad pointed out he was MAQ.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Chamakh wants Arsenal move in the Summer
I usually hold all updates until the following day's blog, but thought you might be interested to know that Marouane Chamakh as declared that he wants to move to Arsenal in the summer when his contract expires.
"My future? Well, I hold all the cards, I have no reason to be under pressure but everyday passing by, I am a little less a Bordeaux player.
"My choice is to join Premier League and if I could choose, I will go to Arsenal.
"Bordeaux has brought me so much. I will soon clearly state things so the club can prepare to find my replacement peacefully."
"Bordeaux has brought me so much. I will soon clearly state things so the club can prepare to find my replacement peacefully."
I didn't realise he was 26, I thought he was a lot younger than that, 22-ish. Not that that is a problem.
Will we see Arsenal signing him soon on a pre-contract? Will he be as much trouble as his frequent media outburts suggest? We can only wonder...
In the meantime, here's of some of what he can do, as you can see, he isn't afraid to fling himself at the ball, and that's always a good thing...
If Eboue is Tinkerbell, John Terry must be Captain Hook
Cesc gave a radio interview yesterday, and, predictably, the papers are wetting themselves at what he had to say. As it was in Spanish I'm having to rely on others for translation:
"I've never hidden that one day I will return to Barcelona. Since I was nine months old, my grandfather and I never stopped going to the stadium and have always worn Blaugrana colours. For one reason or another I had to leave, but you never know what can happen.
"I have not been called by anyone. Neither me or my agent. I can only speak from what I know and answer what I know.
"Nobody has to tell me that Barcelona is the best city in the world to live and the quality of life that is there. I know perfectly. I don't like the weather of London, but as a city it is spectacular. But when I retire I will live in Barcelona."
I wonder what else he said, because I doubt that the interview lasted the three seconds it takes to say what's written above. He hasn't said anything he hasn't already said a thousand times before, and I'd be fairly sure there were massive chunks in the interview about being an Arsenal player, and being a HAPPY Arsenal player at the minute with a contract. All that aside, as Clownshoe pointed out, no other player would be tolerated if they expressed a love for another club. While his honesty is admirable perhaps he could just tone it down a bit.
Arsene has courted controversy once again by stating that qualifying from the group stages in the Champions League is worth 5 League Cup trophies:
“We’re here to win trophies, but it depends on what you call trophies.
“Is it the Champions League, the Premier League, the League Cup? We’ve just qualified from the group stage in the Champions League for the tenth consecutive season.
"That, for me, is three times as difficult as winning the League Cup five times. I know what’s difficult and what’s not.”
I know what he's talking about, and I know not everyone agrees. The League Cup is for everyone else, and a nice bonus if you happen to win it, but if you seriously asked Arsenal supporters at the start of the season would they rather go out at the group stages in the Champions League and win the League Cup you know what answer you're going to get. And if the choice was between Champions League qualification or the League Cup? It's sad that a trophy is treated this way, but that's just the way it is until the League Cup offers a European place. To give you some measure of how hard it is to qualify out of the group stages every year, only Real Madrid have managed to do it for ten years on the trot as well.
There's no real point in talking about Wenger's pre-match press conference as the journalists spend around 85% of it asking Wenger what he thought about the whole Terry saga. Despite saying he didn't want to talk about it they kept asking, and asking, and asking, And then the conference was over. Nothing on Almunia, Denilson, injuries, cancelling training this week, nothing but Terry, Terry, Terry. Fuck Terry.
Everyone else has.
Alleged Arsenal target, Loric Remy, has joined Chamakh in moaning about being used as a 'toy' in the transfer window. These players drive me crazy. They employ agents and instruct them to whip up hype and, in turn, their price, and then bitch about it:
“A series like this, it is exhausting. In Lyon they are very nice, but I’m not a toy. When we show an interest, we go to the end. I did not ask to move. [What] Lyon [said] was not correct.“
He did say that Arsenal are a team who 'make me dream' which could mean we just put him to sleep, though I doubt it.
We've also been linked, again, with Inter tantrum-thrower Balotelli. Leaving aside the fact that the transfer window has closed and we've been linked with more players in the last five days that we were throughout the whole of January, this is yet another player who has trouble written all over him. We shipped out the ex-25 to rid ourselves of players like this. Don't need him, don't want him.
Besides, we already have Arshavin who is quite capable of spouting shit and turning negative focus on Arsenal. Not content with his outbursts (can they be called 'outbursts' when they are considered and consistant?) already this season, he thought he'd add:
“Of course, we try to win every match, but class is class.”
“If Arsenal want to become champions, how can they select Arshavin as centre forward? I am 173cm (5ft 7in) and it suits me, but next to the big centre halves of United it is very difficult to fight for the ball, especially in the air.
“Van Persie is injured and unlikely to play again this season. Eduardo is injured too, but he may be ready to face Chelsea. We are in a difficult situation when it comes to recruiting players.”
To be fair, he isn't saying anything we all don't already know, but it would be nice to hear him saying that he is focused on helping Arsenal win as many matches as possible, or even something remotely positive the miserable little git.
Just when you though money couldn't get any more crazy in football, and, in fact, might actually be trying to re-sensibalise itself, it was announced yesterday that a new TV deal will see the three-year deal rise from £645m, to £1billion for world-wide rights on top of the £1.8billion already paid for the domestic right.
Nearly three fucking billion in total. Is anyone else as disgusted by that as I am?
Speaking of repulsive.
Ahead of our match with Chelsea, King of the Chavs was stripped of his England captaincy, as I'm sure you know, in a move most people wanted, but few expected. Teflon Terry never has had to face up to his disgraceful behaviour in the past. Not many thought he would this time either. Rio Ferdinand picked to be new England captain on the basis that his back is too fucked for his to screw around.
Team news ahead of the match and there were murmurings on Arsenal TV that not only was Bendtner probably not fit to start on Sunday but Almunia was more than likely going to.
Do I have to rant? Can't you just assume what that I have? I've done it enough that you should know how it goes.
Most people will be of the mind that we need to win to keep our titles hopes alive, and while it would make things a hell of a lot easier, it won't necessarily be so.
Here are the 'big' teams/tricky matches each of the title contenders still have to play:
Arsenal - Chelski (a), Liverpool (h) Spuds (a), Man City (h)
Man U - Villa (a), Everton (a), Liverpool (a), Chelski (h), Man City (a), Spuds (h)
Chelski - Arsenal (h), Everton (a), Man City (h), Villa (h) Man U (a), Spuds (a), Liverpool (a)
While I know that clubs will/could drop points to the so called 'lesser' teams, especially those fighting relegation, most of the 'lesser' teams we play aren't fighting for anything other than mid-table mediocrity.
It shouldn't be all doom and gloom, even though it will be should we lose. Which we won't. So I don't know why we're having this discussion.
Finally, for all those Gooners heading to Stamford Bridge, print this out and wear it:
You know it makes sense.
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Your stats round-up, courtesy of @OptaJoe:
13 - Manuel Almunia has dropped or failed to reach more crosses he has attempted to claim than any other 'keeper this season.
23.7% - There has been a lower percentage of away wins in the 2009-10 season than in any previous Premier League campaign (my stat - Arsenal have won 50% on the road, the same as Chelsea, while Man U have won 53.3% (though lost 33.3% compared to Arsenal and Chelsea who have only lost 25%)
This season Portsmouth have had as many owners as Premier League wins (not Arsenal, but interesting, no?).
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Special note must go to David Moyes who said a fully-fit Everton could challenge the Top 4. I wonder will they ever do a piece about how a fully-fit Arsenal would be only a few games away from sealing the easiest title win in Premiership history? Probably not when you think that Paul 'My Head Is Up My Arse' Merson says stuff like this:
"If Chelsea, Man United or Arsenal had the injuries that Everton have had they'd be struggling like mad. Everton lost four of their best five players for a long, long time and they're still moving up the table."
Infuriating isn't it?
Til tomorrow and a proper look at our team ahead of the Chelsea Pantomime.
Friday, February 5, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.33 with league update
Caption 1.33 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
As it's Friday, the league table is below today's pic. With hundreds of points still up for grabs between now and the end of the season, the league is anyone's.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
You might notice that Mohammad has come out of nowhere, he managed to get four points for one competition simply by being the only person to post a caption so there's incentive to post even when others aren't.
Theo, Aaron, Graham and not much else
A bit later today folks as I attempted to find something, anything Arsenal-related. It's ridiculously quiet, and I had thought about waiting until after Wenger's pre-match press conference, but it's not on until this afternoon so here's what I've got:
A piece on Arsenal.com really hits home just what Theo has went through this season with regards to injuries, with his body parts not affected making a shorter list than those afflicted. Back, knee, hamstring and ribs this season alone. Is he unlucky or made of glass? We need to know. Wenger thinks he can finish the season strongly which would be a bonus as most people are expecting Theo to return and still keep forgetting to take the ball with him.
Aaron Ramsey was talking to Sky Sports News about how he felt Wenger wanted him more that Ferguson and that's why he chose Arsenal over United. The fact that they sent Gary Neville while we flew his entire family to Switzerland for a face-to-face with Arsene being the defining moment. I wonder how many players Ferguson has sent Neville to meet since.
Rosicky was also talking to Sky about his new contract, putting to bed rumours that it's a 'pay-as-play' deal. As much as I love TR7, does anyone else think a 'pay-as-you-play' would have been more than acceptable in this instance?
Goal.com links us with Zidan. Not that one, a new one. Read about it, but with United and Barca also interested I think we can put that one in the 'not going to happen' pile and move on.
Funniest piece of the day went to This Is London with an article on Chelsea thinking about putting in John Obi Wanna Foul One Mikel to blunt our attack. We’re quite able to do that ourselves thank you.
Eduardo is out for Chelsea with his 'small' hamstring which Ashburton Grove medical centre were obviously allowed near. A case in point with Djourou who was out until March and is now out until April. At least. Don't buy what they're saying about VP being ahead of schedule. We won't see him again this side of 2012. We have to wait on Diaby for this weekend.
A piece on Arsenal.com really hits home just what Theo has went through this season with regards to injuries, with his body parts not affected making a shorter list than those afflicted. Back, knee, hamstring and ribs this season alone. Is he unlucky or made of glass? We need to know. Wenger thinks he can finish the season strongly which would be a bonus as most people are expecting Theo to return and still keep forgetting to take the ball with him.
Aaron Ramsey was talking to Sky Sports News about how he felt Wenger wanted him more that Ferguson and that's why he chose Arsenal over United. The fact that they sent Gary Neville while we flew his entire family to Switzerland for a face-to-face with Arsene being the defining moment. I wonder how many players Ferguson has sent Neville to meet since.
Rosicky was also talking to Sky about his new contract, putting to bed rumours that it's a 'pay-as-play' deal. As much as I love TR7, does anyone else think a 'pay-as-you-play' would have been more than acceptable in this instance?
Goal.com links us with Zidan. Not that one, a new one. Read about it, but with United and Barca also interested I think we can put that one in the 'not going to happen' pile and move on.
Funniest piece of the day went to This Is London with an article on Chelsea thinking about putting in John Obi Wanna Foul One Mikel to blunt our attack. We’re quite able to do that ourselves thank you.
Eduardo is out for Chelsea with his 'small' hamstring which Ashburton Grove medical centre were obviously allowed near. A case in point with Djourou who was out until March and is now out until April. At least. Don't buy what they're saying about VP being ahead of schedule. We won't see him again this side of 2012. We have to wait on Diaby for this weekend.
George Graham has decided to throw his opinion in to the ring and says we won't win anything if we keep trying to play like Barcelona and that Wenger doesn't care enough about trophies. He cares enough to have won more than you did, and this isn't the first time Graham has put the boot in to Arsene. And it's bad enough when Barcelona are trying to lure Cesc, but to hear Graham say:
"Cesc Fabregas knows he could go to Barcelona and would be virtually guaranteed to win trophies. That is what the boy has to think about."
Read it for yourself and tell me why he's being such a muppet, unable to see what Wenger is doing and has done with our great club.
And that's it, it's depressing me reporting what little there is around as it's so pants. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a little more interesting.
Til then folks.
"Cesc Fabregas knows he could go to Barcelona and would be virtually guaranteed to win trophies. That is what the boy has to think about."
Read it for yourself and tell me why he's being such a muppet, unable to see what Wenger is doing and has done with our great club.
And that's it, it's depressing me reporting what little there is around as it's so pants. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a little more interesting.
Til then folks.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.32
Grrr this was supposed to post hours ago....
Caption 1.32 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Caption 1.32 three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Nothing going on, nothing to say
With no transfer window, no mid-week match, and no point banging on about the Man U match, there is very little to report.
Nik thinks he is ready to make up for the time he has lost to injury this season and it must be incredibly frustrating for him, Fabianski, and Gibbs to be injured when the first choices in their positions are playing crap or are also out injured. Pretty sucky luck, but then that's what Arsenal have had all season really when it comes to injuries. Did you know that Fulham are the latest team to have performances excused because they are injury ravaged? Still not Arsenal though. At this stage of the season, I don't think that's going to change now.
Bendtner's talent might at times come in to question but his work rate doesn't and with a bit of luck his efforts at defending from the front might just spur the others in to doing the same. Knowing that we scored over 3 goals per game with VP in the team but only 2.1 without it is clear that we miss not only his finishing but his hassling of defences.
Did you know that VP and Cesc combined more than any other pair to score the most goals this season (5), and think how long VP has been missing for? The land of 'if only's is a beautiful place.
Almunia has been talking about the title rather than shutting up, training, and trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. He says we are only a 'little step' away from Chelsea and Man U, no doubt that will be the little step he won't take to make a save which could win us a match. Harsh? I don't think so. Especially not when he says stuff like this:
"When you think about where we were after the Chelsea game (in November), that is a great achievement. Sometimes it is better to come back from third or fourth to challenge than to be at the top all the time."
Yeah, must suck to be at the top ALL the time. Idiot.
It's good to see that Wenger is, however, coming round to my way of thinking;
"I always felt the games against the rest of the top four would determine the league.
"But last year Manchester United proved me wrong on that -- they won the title after taking just five points from those six games."
Told ya. And we have three of those five points so far, with six more up for grabs. What that proves, only the end of the season will tell us.
It dawned on me yesterday that there has only been one match recently which comes to mind in which we started as brightly as we did against United. That was Burnley when we scored our only goal in the first 15 minutes of a league match this season (what's that about?) and we didn't win that one either. It seems, while giving us all heart failure, there is something to be said to our slow starts in matches.
I think.
I can't even fill space with stats from @OptaJoe as the only Arsenal related one he had yesterday was about Rosicky being involved in 33 of Arsenal's 100 premier league games since the start of the 07/08 season, which is eight more than Owen Hargreaves. Ha! Our crock is better than their crock.
I said CROCK!
And that really all there is today.
Til tomorrow when hopefully there will be more to report.
Nik thinks he is ready to make up for the time he has lost to injury this season and it must be incredibly frustrating for him, Fabianski, and Gibbs to be injured when the first choices in their positions are playing crap or are also out injured. Pretty sucky luck, but then that's what Arsenal have had all season really when it comes to injuries. Did you know that Fulham are the latest team to have performances excused because they are injury ravaged? Still not Arsenal though. At this stage of the season, I don't think that's going to change now.
Bendtner's talent might at times come in to question but his work rate doesn't and with a bit of luck his efforts at defending from the front might just spur the others in to doing the same. Knowing that we scored over 3 goals per game with VP in the team but only 2.1 without it is clear that we miss not only his finishing but his hassling of defences.
Did you know that VP and Cesc combined more than any other pair to score the most goals this season (5), and think how long VP has been missing for? The land of 'if only's is a beautiful place.
Almunia has been talking about the title rather than shutting up, training, and trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. He says we are only a 'little step' away from Chelsea and Man U, no doubt that will be the little step he won't take to make a save which could win us a match. Harsh? I don't think so. Especially not when he says stuff like this:
"When you think about where we were after the Chelsea game (in November), that is a great achievement. Sometimes it is better to come back from third or fourth to challenge than to be at the top all the time."
Yeah, must suck to be at the top ALL the time. Idiot.
It's good to see that Wenger is, however, coming round to my way of thinking;
"I always felt the games against the rest of the top four would determine the league.
"But last year Manchester United proved me wrong on that -- they won the title after taking just five points from those six games."
Told ya. And we have three of those five points so far, with six more up for grabs. What that proves, only the end of the season will tell us.
It dawned on me yesterday that there has only been one match recently which comes to mind in which we started as brightly as we did against United. That was Burnley when we scored our only goal in the first 15 minutes of a league match this season (what's that about?) and we didn't win that one either. It seems, while giving us all heart failure, there is something to be said to our slow starts in matches.
I think.
I can't even fill space with stats from @OptaJoe as the only Arsenal related one he had yesterday was about Rosicky being involved in 33 of Arsenal's 100 premier league games since the start of the 07/08 season, which is eight more than Owen Hargreaves. Ha! Our crock is better than their crock.
I said CROCK!
And that really all there is today.
Til tomorrow when hopefully there will be more to report.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.31
Caption 1.31, three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Enough with the tantrums, time to grow up
There seems to be a war going on at the minute between Arsenal fans who fall in to what looks like three distinct camps. There are, of course, the floaters who bounce between all three groups, but mainly, Arsenal fans can be divided as such: fans who support Wenger no matter what, fans who criticise Wenger in moderation and question his eyesight/selections while appreciating, to a degree, what he is trying to achieve, and those who are calling for his head.
Needless to say, the first two groups are lot more tolerable than the last, and I'm totally fed up with confronting fans who are calling for Wenger to be sacked/resign who then always turn around and say 'so we can't criticise Wenger at all?' There is, you fucking cretins, a world of difference between criticising and calling for Wenger to go. If you don't have the intelligence to understand that very basic point then you are too stupid for me to even bother spending any time conversing with.
In regards to the other two groups, there is no right and wrong. Some choose to see what Wenger has done over the past 13 years, the financial security he has ensured while consistently being in the top four and progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League, while putting in place the mechanisms to feed our club with the best emerging talent in the world for many years to come as placing him almost (and I said almost) beyond reproach. Others choose to see his reluctance to spend as indicative of his scrooge mentality and his refusal to replace players such as Almunia as evidence that he is blind to faults in his Arsenal team.
Neither is wrong, though neither is 100% right either.
He will get things wrong, he is human after all, and to expect him to manage at the top level without making any mistakes is idealistic at least, fucking stupid at worst. But on the other hand, to think that he refuses to see his own errors and those of some players is equally as stupid. Perfectionists are all too painfully-aware of the shortcoming they and others have. Their ability to bolster or correct these shortcomings is not always as easy as just splashing some cash or clicking your fingers.
People see that Arsenal didn't sign anyone in the transfer window (though more on a new signing coming up) and just assume that Arsene didn't bother trying. That is a rather simplistic view I'm afraid. Transfers fall through all the time, as was demonstrated by the loan deal which was arranged for Loic Remy which was alleged to have fell through at 3.30pm on deadline day. It might have had something to do with the player picking up an injury and failing a fitness test, it might have been down to a failure of the clubs to come to an agreement over who should pay what percentage of the players wages, or it could simply be that his club decided they needed him and would keep him until the end of the season. That left one and a half hours to sign someone else. Not going to happen, unless you forgo medicals and that is something Arsenal certainly aren't going to do given their record with crocked players.
OK, so he tried to get a forward, but what about a keeper? I don't know. And that's the thing - you don't know either. Why didn't we bid for Begovic? I have no idea, but do you really think a keeper who is number 2 at Portsmouth and has moved to be number 2 at Stoke is good enough for Arsenal? I know we're all in the throws of an Almunia-hatefest, but can Begovic really be considered as better than Fabianski? We just don't know what's going on, and while I was tweeting like crazy that I wanted signings on deadline day, I didn't throw a hissy fit. I simply asked 'why?' That's all I want to know. Why? Explain it and I will understand. Or try to.
As for this four years without a trophy crap, give me a break. Do you know what it was like before Wenger, or did you just arrive in 1998 with his first double? Yes, FIRST double. Some clubs haven't even won one once, yet Wenger brought us TWO in four years. He brought us a playing style unseen on this planet before and gave us a team which could go through a season unbeaten. Three league titles, four FA Cups and 13 years Champions League football with a final thrown in for good measure. Three leagues - that's more that Chelsea have won in their ENTIRE history.
Four fucking years. Ingrates. Liverpool's fans give Benitez more fucking support that some so-called Arsenal fans and he's an idiot who has dumped the club further in to debt with mediocre signings which cost the earth (Torres aside), has no visible youth policy, no new stadium, and is out of every competition this year.
Needless to say, the first two groups are lot more tolerable than the last, and I'm totally fed up with confronting fans who are calling for Wenger to be sacked/resign who then always turn around and say 'so we can't criticise Wenger at all?' There is, you fucking cretins, a world of difference between criticising and calling for Wenger to go. If you don't have the intelligence to understand that very basic point then you are too stupid for me to even bother spending any time conversing with.
In regards to the other two groups, there is no right and wrong. Some choose to see what Wenger has done over the past 13 years, the financial security he has ensured while consistently being in the top four and progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League, while putting in place the mechanisms to feed our club with the best emerging talent in the world for many years to come as placing him almost (and I said almost) beyond reproach. Others choose to see his reluctance to spend as indicative of his scrooge mentality and his refusal to replace players such as Almunia as evidence that he is blind to faults in his Arsenal team.
Neither is wrong, though neither is 100% right either.
He will get things wrong, he is human after all, and to expect him to manage at the top level without making any mistakes is idealistic at least, fucking stupid at worst. But on the other hand, to think that he refuses to see his own errors and those of some players is equally as stupid. Perfectionists are all too painfully-aware of the shortcoming they and others have. Their ability to bolster or correct these shortcomings is not always as easy as just splashing some cash or clicking your fingers.
People see that Arsenal didn't sign anyone in the transfer window (though more on a new signing coming up) and just assume that Arsene didn't bother trying. That is a rather simplistic view I'm afraid. Transfers fall through all the time, as was demonstrated by the loan deal which was arranged for Loic Remy which was alleged to have fell through at 3.30pm on deadline day. It might have had something to do with the player picking up an injury and failing a fitness test, it might have been down to a failure of the clubs to come to an agreement over who should pay what percentage of the players wages, or it could simply be that his club decided they needed him and would keep him until the end of the season. That left one and a half hours to sign someone else. Not going to happen, unless you forgo medicals and that is something Arsenal certainly aren't going to do given their record with crocked players.
OK, so he tried to get a forward, but what about a keeper? I don't know. And that's the thing - you don't know either. Why didn't we bid for Begovic? I have no idea, but do you really think a keeper who is number 2 at Portsmouth and has moved to be number 2 at Stoke is good enough for Arsenal? I know we're all in the throws of an Almunia-hatefest, but can Begovic really be considered as better than Fabianski? We just don't know what's going on, and while I was tweeting like crazy that I wanted signings on deadline day, I didn't throw a hissy fit. I simply asked 'why?' That's all I want to know. Why? Explain it and I will understand. Or try to.
As for this four years without a trophy crap, give me a break. Do you know what it was like before Wenger, or did you just arrive in 1998 with his first double? Yes, FIRST double. Some clubs haven't even won one once, yet Wenger brought us TWO in four years. He brought us a playing style unseen on this planet before and gave us a team which could go through a season unbeaten. Three league titles, four FA Cups and 13 years Champions League football with a final thrown in for good measure. Three leagues - that's more that Chelsea have won in their ENTIRE history.
Four fucking years. Ingrates. Liverpool's fans give Benitez more fucking support that some so-called Arsenal fans and he's an idiot who has dumped the club further in to debt with mediocre signings which cost the earth (Torres aside), has no visible youth policy, no new stadium, and is out of every competition this year.
I'm not saying don't have a go at Wenger, I'm saying if you are going to, do it constructively and realistically rather than 'I want I want I want' like a three year old. Don't run a poll asking if he should go after one fucking defeat. What does that prove? That other morons know how to click a mouse too?
I am not going to make excuses for Denilson, he has been shocking recently, what I am going to say to you is Alex Song. You work the rest out if you can remember that far back.
As for Almunia, well he never was good enough but none of us could have foreseen his drastic decline. Almunia from last season was five times the keeper of Almunia this, and he was still pretty shit then too. What's the problem? I don't know. I don't know why he hasn't been replaced. I do know that Fabianski's knee injury came at a very unfortunate time and believe he was pencilled in to be number 1 until that set-back. Goalkeepers are worth their weight in platinum, and while it is the goal scorer who gets all the plaudits, a great goalkeeper is far harder to find that a great goal-scorer. I don't know why he persists with Almunia, but he does so there must be a reason. I don't have to like it, but I do have to accept it. Will I be more tolerant of Almunia's mistakes? No, don't be stupid, but I will be more tolerant of Wenger's decision to pick him. And before you say it isn't Almunia's fault if he is picked, I don't care that he is shit, (well I do) I care that he doesn't seem to. There is a big difference.
But let's hope Wenger does us all a favour and drops him this weekend when he sees that his save percentage rate has dropped to 62% from 63%. Only Kirkland and Fulop have a worse rate. Then we'll have Fabianski to worry about. (Perhaps somewhat surprising, the much heralded Pepe Reina only saves 68%)
So what would you rather have, a bankrupt club with some trophies or a solidly run club which WILL challenge for major honours without destroying 124 years of history in the process?
Then shut up.
Are we done with this now?
Good.
Anyway, why you're still moaning today (if you are) when Hull held Chelsea last night to a 1-1 draw I don't know. A fantastic result from The Tango'd ones team of liars and shows just what some people know already - Chelsea are beatable, and are certainly far from invincible. Suddenly Sunday is one point dropped on Chelsea instead of three, and when you think that Man U said that was the best they have played all season and many would say it was our worst, yet we still managed to carve out numerous chances, you have to reckon that both will give Arsenal a chance of catching them.
Today is a decent day again.
Did you know that Arsenal scored 60 league goals this season faster than any other team in the history of the Premier League? If we could only stop concedeing them as quickly we'd be minted. Man United only scored 68 in the whole of last season you know.
And, just to make it that little bit sweeter, we are allegedly singing Stefan Savic on a pre-contract later today. He's a 6ft2 centre-half who can play in Song's position as well. He'll join us in May. Read more here and about the player here. And just to round up Sanchez Watt, who has vanished recently, has joined Southend United on loan for a month. Did you know his first name was really Herschel? Herschel Sanchez Watt? Seriously. That is a legendary name.
Finally, another little fact or two to brighten up your day, courtesy of @Optajoe - 15 of the 20 league goals Chelsea have conceded have been from set pieces. Who's really good at set-pieces, scored most in the league? You guessed it, it really is us. (50% of Liverpool's goals against have come that way too if you want to get ahead of yourself). He also adds that since Chelsea beat us, they have only won once away from home.
I know they aren't away this weekend, but still, they have to go away to other places.
There is hope after all.
And that's your lot for today.
See you all tomorrow.
I am not going to make excuses for Denilson, he has been shocking recently, what I am going to say to you is Alex Song. You work the rest out if you can remember that far back.
As for Almunia, well he never was good enough but none of us could have foreseen his drastic decline. Almunia from last season was five times the keeper of Almunia this, and he was still pretty shit then too. What's the problem? I don't know. I don't know why he hasn't been replaced. I do know that Fabianski's knee injury came at a very unfortunate time and believe he was pencilled in to be number 1 until that set-back. Goalkeepers are worth their weight in platinum, and while it is the goal scorer who gets all the plaudits, a great goalkeeper is far harder to find that a great goal-scorer. I don't know why he persists with Almunia, but he does so there must be a reason. I don't have to like it, but I do have to accept it. Will I be more tolerant of Almunia's mistakes? No, don't be stupid, but I will be more tolerant of Wenger's decision to pick him. And before you say it isn't Almunia's fault if he is picked, I don't care that he is shit, (well I do) I care that he doesn't seem to. There is a big difference.
But let's hope Wenger does us all a favour and drops him this weekend when he sees that his save percentage rate has dropped to 62% from 63%. Only Kirkland and Fulop have a worse rate. Then we'll have Fabianski to worry about. (Perhaps somewhat surprising, the much heralded Pepe Reina only saves 68%)
So what would you rather have, a bankrupt club with some trophies or a solidly run club which WILL challenge for major honours without destroying 124 years of history in the process?
Then shut up.
Are we done with this now?
Good.
Anyway, why you're still moaning today (if you are) when Hull held Chelsea last night to a 1-1 draw I don't know. A fantastic result from The Tango'd ones team of liars and shows just what some people know already - Chelsea are beatable, and are certainly far from invincible. Suddenly Sunday is one point dropped on Chelsea instead of three, and when you think that Man U said that was the best they have played all season and many would say it was our worst, yet we still managed to carve out numerous chances, you have to reckon that both will give Arsenal a chance of catching them.
Today is a decent day again.
Did you know that Arsenal scored 60 league goals this season faster than any other team in the history of the Premier League? If we could only stop concedeing them as quickly we'd be minted. Man United only scored 68 in the whole of last season you know.
And, just to make it that little bit sweeter, we are allegedly singing Stefan Savic on a pre-contract later today. He's a 6ft2 centre-half who can play in Song's position as well. He'll join us in May. Read more here and about the player here. And just to round up Sanchez Watt, who has vanished recently, has joined Southend United on loan for a month. Did you know his first name was really Herschel? Herschel Sanchez Watt? Seriously. That is a legendary name.
Finally, another little fact or two to brighten up your day, courtesy of @Optajoe - 15 of the 20 league goals Chelsea have conceded have been from set pieces. Who's really good at set-pieces, scored most in the league? You guessed it, it really is us. (50% of Liverpool's goals against have come that way too if you want to get ahead of yourself). He also adds that since Chelsea beat us, they have only won once away from home.
I know they aren't away this weekend, but still, they have to go away to other places.
There is hope after all.
And that's your lot for today.
See you all tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LadyArse Arsenal Caption Competition No. 1.30
Caption 1.30, three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it:
Hi-Ho
It's off to work we go.
So have we moved on? Consigned Sunday's defeat to the 'humiliated by Chelsea/United pile' and accepted that they took their chances, we didn't and, with Almunia and, to a lesser extent. Denilson, in the side this sort of thing is going to happen a couple of times a season?
Good, now we can look at all our lovely new signings now the window has closed. We didn't sign anyone else? Just Sol you say? Surely that can't be right. We have no fit forwards, no keeper, how can that be? Oh that's right, Wenger thinks our squad is too big. Well that’s what he told Jacqui Oatley of the BBC.
It isn't even big in the 'height' category for fucks sake.
I wasted an entire day yesterday just waiting. I knew it was futile, I knew we wouldn't sign any one, but that stupid 1% of my brain which always believes just wouldn't let me go and live my life. I waited. And waited. And watched. I was just like Almunia. Except more effective.
Judging by Wenger's face at the post-match conference when asked about transfers you could almost see him crying as he realised he'd left it too late. He genuinely thought that what we had was good enough, though how you can say that with regards to Almunia when it has been obvious to even me since the season started that he has suffered some sort of breakdown from which he has never recovered.
Rallying cries came from all quarters yesterday, with the loudest coming from our captain as he called for the squad to ignore external negativity, pull it together and push for the title.
"I think we have to be positive. It is very easy to say we lost to Man United and let our heads go down. We have to be strong, be together more than ever and do our best until the end of the season.
"United had their chances to score even more goals and they also missed. They were the better team and that’s it. They competed better than us.
"With all my respect, I really don’t care what people think about us. It's about what we believe up until the end of the season. People are not going to play for us and it is up to us to show what we can do.
"People watch the football and enjoy it but we must do our talking on the pitch."
Very good then.
I shouldn't really be dismissive, it's the sort of thing we need to be hearing from our Captain but we all know that it isn't our captain that any of us have a problem with. Or external negativities.
Let's move on, I can't look at Sunday again. It's too soon.
Arsenal's goalkeeping hope for the future, Chesney (Szczesny) has extended his loan at Brentford until the end of the season with the Bees saying they were really, really thankful that it wasn't Almunia. It says it all really when a kid who is playing on loan for a League One team gets more votes to be Arsenal's number 1 than EITHER of our current first or second choices. Make sure you vote (look over to the right).
On a completely random note, and mostly because the world came to a standstill with regards to news as everyone else focused on the transfer window, I'm probably the last person on the planet to think of this, but did Nik change his squad number so he could be B52?
So have we moved on? Consigned Sunday's defeat to the 'humiliated by Chelsea/United pile' and accepted that they took their chances, we didn't and, with Almunia and, to a lesser extent. Denilson, in the side this sort of thing is going to happen a couple of times a season?
Good, now we can look at all our lovely new signings now the window has closed. We didn't sign anyone else? Just Sol you say? Surely that can't be right. We have no fit forwards, no keeper, how can that be? Oh that's right, Wenger thinks our squad is too big. Well that’s what he told Jacqui Oatley of the BBC.
It isn't even big in the 'height' category for fucks sake.
I wasted an entire day yesterday just waiting. I knew it was futile, I knew we wouldn't sign any one, but that stupid 1% of my brain which always believes just wouldn't let me go and live my life. I waited. And waited. And watched. I was just like Almunia. Except more effective.
Judging by Wenger's face at the post-match conference when asked about transfers you could almost see him crying as he realised he'd left it too late. He genuinely thought that what we had was good enough, though how you can say that with regards to Almunia when it has been obvious to even me since the season started that he has suffered some sort of breakdown from which he has never recovered.
Rallying cries came from all quarters yesterday, with the loudest coming from our captain as he called for the squad to ignore external negativity, pull it together and push for the title.
"I think we have to be positive. It is very easy to say we lost to Man United and let our heads go down. We have to be strong, be together more than ever and do our best until the end of the season.
"United had their chances to score even more goals and they also missed. They were the better team and that’s it. They competed better than us.
"With all my respect, I really don’t care what people think about us. It's about what we believe up until the end of the season. People are not going to play for us and it is up to us to show what we can do.
"People watch the football and enjoy it but we must do our talking on the pitch."
Very good then.
I shouldn't really be dismissive, it's the sort of thing we need to be hearing from our Captain but we all know that it isn't our captain that any of us have a problem with. Or external negativities.
Let's move on, I can't look at Sunday again. It's too soon.
Arsenal's goalkeeping hope for the future, Chesney (Szczesny) has extended his loan at Brentford until the end of the season with the Bees saying they were really, really thankful that it wasn't Almunia. It says it all really when a kid who is playing on loan for a League One team gets more votes to be Arsenal's number 1 than EITHER of our current first or second choices. Make sure you vote (look over to the right).
On a completely random note, and mostly because the world came to a standstill with regards to news as everyone else focused on the transfer window, I'm probably the last person on the planet to think of this, but did Nik change his squad number so he could be B52?
Is that why he celebrates like this:
Pity he plays like this then really isn't it?
I jest, I jest, off course I jest. Nik is our last best hope to actually have a striker who is, well, as striker.
With a fit squad, or even injuries at the same level as Chelsea have had this season we would be running away with this league. I have no doubt about that. And that's even with the result against Man U, though if we had a fit VP or even Nik we could have converted more and probably not lost in the first place.
Yes, you guessed it, I’m really struggling to fill some space so I think I’ll split and leave you with two comedy classics.
Til tomorrow.
Monday, February 1, 2010
LadyArse Caption Competition No. 1.29
Caption 1.29, three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it you funny followers:
Despite the doom merchants and liabilities, I'm keeping the faith.
We waited. We waited. We waited.
We got the pre-match lift we needed, Vermaelen was fit, and not only that, he was fit to start. No place on the bench for Sol Campbell. We didn't care about Silvestre being there instead of him, the only thing that mattered was that the Verminator's replacement piston had obviously arrived. Then another boost, Vidic wasn't playing, Man U would be without their first choice centre backs.
We lined up as I thought we might. Nik not quite fit enough so it was Arshavin through the middle flanked by TR7 and Nasri. And we started well. We were more focused than we've been at the start of a match for I don't know how long. We had chance, after chance, Arshavin being greedy, but industrious.
By the time it was 3-0 to Man United it could have just as easily been 3-3. Alas, every single Arsenal player had forgotten where the goal was, and that didn't change despite numerous glorious opportunities. The one which Vermaelen scored was probably the hardest of them all.
You might sense that I don't seem too angry, and I will tell you why. The amount of vitriol thrown at Arsenal yesterday by people who are supposedly supporters disgusted me and as a reaction forced me to take what some might see as an overly-optimistic position. I can be defiant like that. It's your own fucking fault for being so completely irrational in your reactions that you aren’t getting a rant of biblical proportions. Now you get happy-clappy to balance out your totally life-sapping negativity.
This is NOT the end of the world. It is NOT the end of our title challenge. And it does NOT mean the team is a load of shit.
Personally, I'm saving all my vitriol for one of our two current liabilities. Manuel Almunia. He is so fucking useless it is beyond a joke. There can be no reason that Wenger persists with him other than he is shagging Wenger's daughter. Or does he have pictures of Wenger in a compromising position? There has to be a reason for his continued selection, Fabianski cannot be worse than Almunia. Nobody is worse than Almunia. He is rooted to his line, offers nothing in the way of confidence to any of the back four that it’s no wonder they look like the worst defensive line-up in the league despite consisting for four of the best individual components this league has to offer. He has no ability to anticipate where the ball is going to go or any inclination to move for it even if he did.
From my post-Chelsea blog in September:
"With Almunia in goal we will not win anything. It is that simple. He was always average, but this season, he isn't even that. I've said it for weeks, months even, he just doesn't seem interested. Put Fabianski in, hell put Mannone in, at least then we can say 'inexperience' and 'they'll learn instead of 'what the fuck' or 'where the fuck is he?' Almunia is a number two and should NEVER be any more. No wonder Jens hated him, I'd hate him too if I'd somebody that crap constantly thinking they deserved my place."
Do I need to add anything to that other than we are now three months on and he's getting worse? Even the Emirates crowd cheered when he managed to collect a dribbled pass which my arthritic granny could have stopped. He must go and he must go NOW. I don't tend to write to authority figures but should he start against Chelsea I will feel compelled to write to Wenger and ask him just what, exactly, it is that he sees in the most useless plank of wood ever to stand between two posts.
And then there's Denilson. I'm not going to tear him apart too much, he's young and will learn. But he has been woeful lately, and once again let a player run past him without making any effort to track him. His non-challenge on Nani which lead to Almunia flapping the first in to the back of the net was inexcusable. And, a side note, where the hell has Clichy’s pace gone?
I said it after Chelsea, and having not lost a match since until today, I will say it again. We did not deserve to lose that match. Yet we did. We were the architects of our own downfall and have only ourselves to blame. I saw us create more chances to win it than we should have needed. With the window still open perhaps Wenger needs to step back, pick up the phone and give AC Milan a ring. Huntelaar. Loan. Make it so.
Prior to today, Man United had only got one point from 18 in matches against the top four. That's the last six matches. They had not won away at any of the top four since Anfield in 2007. Yet somehow they managed to win three titles in a row. It is this which is keeping me believing until it’s mathematically impossible. I always believe, even when I say I don’t. I secretly do. And I know, deep down, you all do to. Otherwise you wouldn’t be a supporter, you’d be a fan but that’s a discussion for another day.
Wenger said we were poor, and in areas we were. He seemed scathing, and I have a teeny, tiny glimmer of hope that we might not see Almunia start for a while. Naive. We were. We’re young, we’ll learn. He knows what we are missing. Does he have the time to do anything about it? We got in to the positions we just couldn't put the chances away, and this wasn't players who struggle normally, this infected the entire team. At the back, it cannot be emphasised enough just what effect a shit goalkeeper has on the rest of the back line. They don’t know if he will come or stay, where he will put it when (attempts a) clearing. Should they leave it? Should they clear it? It’s no wonder confusion reigns supreme back there, though defending in the opposition’s half does not help either.
It isn't over, far from it. I don't care how you feel today, or what you say, it simply isn't so.
If these matches were spread out, they wouldn't seem as bad, or significant as they do because they are all grouped together. There is a long, long way to go yet in this title race, and many, many more points to be dropped. We just have to hope we aren't the ones doing the dropping. And if we are? Well we will deal with that at the time. There's a reason my Man U supporting mate said this Arsenal team can go on to dominate for a deacade at least.
I am going to play something out for you. This is what we have left in the league:
14 matches left, that's a maximum of 42 points. We currently have 49 and Wenger believes that 83 might just win this league. Even if, as everyone seems to insist, we get destroyed by Chelsea, you give me one reason why we can't win the remaining 13? We won't be suffering burn-out, most of our squad has only played a fraction of the games. If anything, we will be stronger as our players return and we hopefully start to get a settled team with a spearhead. If we win the other 13, that's 39 points, giving us a total of 88.
May I just also take this opportunity to remind quite a few of you that most ‘supporters’ gave us no chance along with the pundits at the start of the season. Remember that when you are thinking of calling for Wenger’s head. Remember where you thought we would be after Chelsea before you start screaming irrational nonsense that a child would be embarrassed by.
We got the pre-match lift we needed, Vermaelen was fit, and not only that, he was fit to start. No place on the bench for Sol Campbell. We didn't care about Silvestre being there instead of him, the only thing that mattered was that the Verminator's replacement piston had obviously arrived. Then another boost, Vidic wasn't playing, Man U would be without their first choice centre backs.
We lined up as I thought we might. Nik not quite fit enough so it was Arshavin through the middle flanked by TR7 and Nasri. And we started well. We were more focused than we've been at the start of a match for I don't know how long. We had chance, after chance, Arshavin being greedy, but industrious.
By the time it was 3-0 to Man United it could have just as easily been 3-3. Alas, every single Arsenal player had forgotten where the goal was, and that didn't change despite numerous glorious opportunities. The one which Vermaelen scored was probably the hardest of them all.
You might sense that I don't seem too angry, and I will tell you why. The amount of vitriol thrown at Arsenal yesterday by people who are supposedly supporters disgusted me and as a reaction forced me to take what some might see as an overly-optimistic position. I can be defiant like that. It's your own fucking fault for being so completely irrational in your reactions that you aren’t getting a rant of biblical proportions. Now you get happy-clappy to balance out your totally life-sapping negativity.
This is NOT the end of the world. It is NOT the end of our title challenge. And it does NOT mean the team is a load of shit.
Personally, I'm saving all my vitriol for one of our two current liabilities. Manuel Almunia. He is so fucking useless it is beyond a joke. There can be no reason that Wenger persists with him other than he is shagging Wenger's daughter. Or does he have pictures of Wenger in a compromising position? There has to be a reason for his continued selection, Fabianski cannot be worse than Almunia. Nobody is worse than Almunia. He is rooted to his line, offers nothing in the way of confidence to any of the back four that it’s no wonder they look like the worst defensive line-up in the league despite consisting for four of the best individual components this league has to offer. He has no ability to anticipate where the ball is going to go or any inclination to move for it even if he did.
From my post-Chelsea blog in September:
"With Almunia in goal we will not win anything. It is that simple. He was always average, but this season, he isn't even that. I've said it for weeks, months even, he just doesn't seem interested. Put Fabianski in, hell put Mannone in, at least then we can say 'inexperience' and 'they'll learn instead of 'what the fuck' or 'where the fuck is he?' Almunia is a number two and should NEVER be any more. No wonder Jens hated him, I'd hate him too if I'd somebody that crap constantly thinking they deserved my place."
Do I need to add anything to that other than we are now three months on and he's getting worse? Even the Emirates crowd cheered when he managed to collect a dribbled pass which my arthritic granny could have stopped. He must go and he must go NOW. I don't tend to write to authority figures but should he start against Chelsea I will feel compelled to write to Wenger and ask him just what, exactly, it is that he sees in the most useless plank of wood ever to stand between two posts.
And then there's Denilson. I'm not going to tear him apart too much, he's young and will learn. But he has been woeful lately, and once again let a player run past him without making any effort to track him. His non-challenge on Nani which lead to Almunia flapping the first in to the back of the net was inexcusable. And, a side note, where the hell has Clichy’s pace gone?
I said it after Chelsea, and having not lost a match since until today, I will say it again. We did not deserve to lose that match. Yet we did. We were the architects of our own downfall and have only ourselves to blame. I saw us create more chances to win it than we should have needed. With the window still open perhaps Wenger needs to step back, pick up the phone and give AC Milan a ring. Huntelaar. Loan. Make it so.
Prior to today, Man United had only got one point from 18 in matches against the top four. That's the last six matches. They had not won away at any of the top four since Anfield in 2007. Yet somehow they managed to win three titles in a row. It is this which is keeping me believing until it’s mathematically impossible. I always believe, even when I say I don’t. I secretly do. And I know, deep down, you all do to. Otherwise you wouldn’t be a supporter, you’d be a fan but that’s a discussion for another day.
Wenger said we were poor, and in areas we were. He seemed scathing, and I have a teeny, tiny glimmer of hope that we might not see Almunia start for a while. Naive. We were. We’re young, we’ll learn. He knows what we are missing. Does he have the time to do anything about it? We got in to the positions we just couldn't put the chances away, and this wasn't players who struggle normally, this infected the entire team. At the back, it cannot be emphasised enough just what effect a shit goalkeeper has on the rest of the back line. They don’t know if he will come or stay, where he will put it when (attempts a) clearing. Should they leave it? Should they clear it? It’s no wonder confusion reigns supreme back there, though defending in the opposition’s half does not help either.
It isn't over, far from it. I don't care how you feel today, or what you say, it simply isn't so.
If these matches were spread out, they wouldn't seem as bad, or significant as they do because they are all grouped together. There is a long, long way to go yet in this title race, and many, many more points to be dropped. We just have to hope we aren't the ones doing the dropping. And if we are? Well we will deal with that at the time. There's a reason my Man U supporting mate said this Arsenal team can go on to dominate for a deacade at least.
I am going to play something out for you. This is what we have left in the league:
14 matches left, that's a maximum of 42 points. We currently have 49 and Wenger believes that 83 might just win this league. Even if, as everyone seems to insist, we get destroyed by Chelsea, you give me one reason why we can't win the remaining 13? We won't be suffering burn-out, most of our squad has only played a fraction of the games. If anything, we will be stronger as our players return and we hopefully start to get a settled team with a spearhead. If we win the other 13, that's 39 points, giving us a total of 88.
May I just also take this opportunity to remind quite a few of you that most ‘supporters’ gave us no chance along with the pundits at the start of the season. Remember that when you are thinking of calling for Wenger’s head. Remember where you thought we would be after Chelsea before you start screaming irrational nonsense that a child would be embarrassed by.
Even @Optajoe knows you need a lift and it isn't over - 28- The only time Arsenal had previously conceded as many PL goals by this stage of a campaign was in 01/02, when they won the league. Hope.
And while you're at your Arsenal and Arsene-bashing (there were hundreds of people calling for him to go yesterday) just remember that if it wasn't for Wenger you wouldn't be so fucking greedy or have such high expectations. You know who you are.
I’m not saying don’t be angry, don’t be disappointed. I’m saying get a grip, get a bit of perspective then get the fuck over it. 42 points still to play for.
Bring on Chelsea and let’s get it over with.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
LadyArse Caption Competition No. 1.28
Caption 1.28, three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it you funny floopers:
More Schadenfreude Please
There has been an awful lot of schadenfreude about this month, and so it seems fitting that we should end the month with another great big dollop in the form of Tiger-Lite Terry. If the ref today could see fit to book/send off Rooney for diving and also award us one of the six stonewall penalties we are sure to be claiming it would just end the month beautifully.
Needless to say, most of the talk yesterday was about that great ambassador for football and Father of the Year, John Terry. Not content with seeing his mum in the papers for shoplifting, his dad in the papers for dealing and himself in the papers for taking cash-for-tours, he decided that his column inches needed increasing. So he shagged Wayne Bridge's baby-mama. Don't buy all that injunction rubbish. That was just to make sure that your attention was held before they release the story. Like Apple and their product launches, all designed to whip up hype before the actual release.
Why does that sound like that? I suppose it's quite fitting.
There was an online poll stating that 87% of people wanted him sacked as England captain. We can only assume that the other 13% are women he's shagged. Or Chelsea supporters. Or both.
But do we care about John Terry? Not today, not with the Mancs enroute to the Emirates in an attempt to end yet another Arsenal unbeaten run. This time it's 10, as opposed to the 49 they hacked to an end in 2004. People say 'get over it' 'move on' but such was the thuggery and injustice in our match at Old Trafford to stop us reaching what is, let's face, a far more aesthetic number in 50 unbeaten, that we will NEVER forget.
Even if we win 6-0 today we will still remember. It's just one of those things. Like remembering where you were when Eduardo was legapitated. Or we completed an entire season unbeaten. It is burned in to the brains of all Arsenal supporters.
Team news is that we are without Eduardo (hamstring), Vela (knee), and Vermaelen (piston) on top of the regulars. With Wenger, rightly, stating that Bendtner is not quite 100% there is every likelihood that we will see AA through the middle, with Rosicky left, Eboue right, Nasri in the middle with Cesc. Campbell or Song beside Gallas is the biggest question of the day and I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Wenger put Song in with plans to bring Campbell on with 30 to go if we are chasing the game.
Much has been made of Denilson's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, but with Song behind him, and the ultra-impressive and tenacious Nasri in front along with our leader and saviour Cesc, he should fare a lot better than in recent weeks.
But it's all speculation. It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that Wenger sent Pat Rice to Japan to personally collect the replacement parts for The Verminator's leg and we get to see him start.
I think it's fair to say that most Arsenal fans are heading in to this game feeling very optimistic. We know we were robbed of three points at Old Trafford earlier in the season, what with Diaby's own goal, Rooney's dive, and Fletcher's general cuntishness. Wenger has been very clever with his press conference this week, reminding whatever muppet is in charge, of the fat ones tendency to dive without calling him a diver. He could have also done with reminding the ref that Darren Fletcher will kick Cesc more than the ball, and a lot depends on who is the ref and what he is prepared let go. I have a feeling it will be Howard Webb which is good only by virtue of the fact that it isn't Mike Reily. Oh, I see it's Chris Foy. It isn't Mike 'I love United' Reily so it's better than it could be.
I suppose.
So it's a long, long time to wait until 4pm. It will seem like an eternity and then be gone in a flash. We have a point to make after the result earlier this season, but we also have a league to be winning. Three points today won't win us that league, but it will go a long, long way to shutting the doubters up.
Enjoy it if you managed to get a ticket, hope the 3D lives up to its billing if that's where you're heading, but the only thing I care about today is three points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfer news:
With the announcement yesterday in the Portsmouth News that Arsenal were trying to hijack the Spuds efforts to sign Begovic, it seems Stoke have had similar ideas and Sky Sports are reporting the deal as practically done. I knew it was too good to be true that we could be trying to buy a keeper. Go on Arsene, make a fool out of me, I dare ya!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Idiotic decision of the week:
A special note must go to FIFA for surpassing all of their most ridiculous decisions in the past with the announcement that, for pulling out of this year's ACN, Togo will be banned from the next two. Given that they cannot comprehend the trauma involved in being subjected to 30 minutes of machine-gun fire while watching helplessly as colleagues are killed, we have no hope of ever getting them to understand why goal-line technology is a good idea. Puts it in perspective though, doesn't it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is Vermaelen made off?
Don't forget to vote, the poll closes after today's match and there'll be a new one for tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LadyArse Tshirts
I could blackmail you in to buying them by saying if you don't I'll have to get a full-time job and my Empire might crumble, but I know I don't need to. With only seven availble of each design (at the minute) you'd be simply insane not to. See more here.
Needless to say, most of the talk yesterday was about that great ambassador for football and Father of the Year, John Terry. Not content with seeing his mum in the papers for shoplifting, his dad in the papers for dealing and himself in the papers for taking cash-for-tours, he decided that his column inches needed increasing. So he shagged Wayne Bridge's baby-mama. Don't buy all that injunction rubbish. That was just to make sure that your attention was held before they release the story. Like Apple and their product launches, all designed to whip up hype before the actual release.
Why does that sound like that? I suppose it's quite fitting.
There was an online poll stating that 87% of people wanted him sacked as England captain. We can only assume that the other 13% are women he's shagged. Or Chelsea supporters. Or both.
But do we care about John Terry? Not today, not with the Mancs enroute to the Emirates in an attempt to end yet another Arsenal unbeaten run. This time it's 10, as opposed to the 49 they hacked to an end in 2004. People say 'get over it' 'move on' but such was the thuggery and injustice in our match at Old Trafford to stop us reaching what is, let's face, a far more aesthetic number in 50 unbeaten, that we will NEVER forget.
Even if we win 6-0 today we will still remember. It's just one of those things. Like remembering where you were when Eduardo was legapitated. Or we completed an entire season unbeaten. It is burned in to the brains of all Arsenal supporters.
Team news is that we are without Eduardo (hamstring), Vela (knee), and Vermaelen (piston) on top of the regulars. With Wenger, rightly, stating that Bendtner is not quite 100% there is every likelihood that we will see AA through the middle, with Rosicky left, Eboue right, Nasri in the middle with Cesc. Campbell or Song beside Gallas is the biggest question of the day and I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Wenger put Song in with plans to bring Campbell on with 30 to go if we are chasing the game.
Much has been made of Denilson's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, but with Song behind him, and the ultra-impressive and tenacious Nasri in front along with our leader and saviour Cesc, he should fare a lot better than in recent weeks.
But it's all speculation. It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that Wenger sent Pat Rice to Japan to personally collect the replacement parts for The Verminator's leg and we get to see him start.
I think it's fair to say that most Arsenal fans are heading in to this game feeling very optimistic. We know we were robbed of three points at Old Trafford earlier in the season, what with Diaby's own goal, Rooney's dive, and Fletcher's general cuntishness. Wenger has been very clever with his press conference this week, reminding whatever muppet is in charge, of the fat ones tendency to dive without calling him a diver. He could have also done with reminding the ref that Darren Fletcher will kick Cesc more than the ball, and a lot depends on who is the ref and what he is prepared let go. I have a feeling it will be Howard Webb which is good only by virtue of the fact that it isn't Mike Reily. Oh, I see it's Chris Foy. It isn't Mike 'I love United' Reily so it's better than it could be.
I suppose.
So it's a long, long time to wait until 4pm. It will seem like an eternity and then be gone in a flash. We have a point to make after the result earlier this season, but we also have a league to be winning. Three points today won't win us that league, but it will go a long, long way to shutting the doubters up.
Enjoy it if you managed to get a ticket, hope the 3D lives up to its billing if that's where you're heading, but the only thing I care about today is three points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfer news:
With the announcement yesterday in the Portsmouth News that Arsenal were trying to hijack the Spuds efforts to sign Begovic, it seems Stoke have had similar ideas and Sky Sports are reporting the deal as practically done. I knew it was too good to be true that we could be trying to buy a keeper. Go on Arsene, make a fool out of me, I dare ya!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Idiotic decision of the week:
A special note must go to FIFA for surpassing all of their most ridiculous decisions in the past with the announcement that, for pulling out of this year's ACN, Togo will be banned from the next two. Given that they cannot comprehend the trauma involved in being subjected to 30 minutes of machine-gun fire while watching helplessly as colleagues are killed, we have no hope of ever getting them to understand why goal-line technology is a good idea. Puts it in perspective though, doesn't it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is Vermaelen made off?
Don't forget to vote, the poll closes after today's match and there'll be a new one for tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LadyArse Tshirts
I could blackmail you in to buying them by saying if you don't I'll have to get a full-time job and my Empire might crumble, but I know I don't need to. With only seven availble of each design (at the minute) you'd be simply insane not to. See more here.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
LadyArse Caption Competition No. 1.27
Caption 1.27, three points for the funniest, one for the second, and the league table will be published with every Friday competition from now on.
Since you're all so dediated, that the grand winner will not only win the uberKudos which goes with winning the league, but a funky TShirt as well. How's about that then?! I haven't decided which one yet, but as beggars, you cannot, by law be choosers.
Ok, so it isn't the hugest prize in the world, but it's the thought that counts, right?
So let's have it you funny flippers (I thought I'd diversify and give you an opportunity to rant like crazy people):
Is it Sunday yet?
Morning all.
For the day before the supposed biggest league game of the season it isn't half quiet about and I wasn't helped by the fact the Arsenal.com was down this morning. I may have to stretch one story or fill some space with not-so-pretty pictures.
In what seemed to be the most protracted loan deal ever, Jack has finally went to Bolton. I think we've said all there is to say about this one. We know how they are a bunch of Neanderthal baby-eaters with as much football talent as Shrek (the cartoon one, not the Man U one) and can think of quite a few teams we'd have far rather seen one of the Arsenal future-legends go to, but maybe it'll toughen him up. Or break him. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
There are rumours (Portsmouth News) that we tried to nab Begovic from Portsmouth for £5m, but reports are that it was not enough to stop Harry rebuilding Portsmouth at White Hart Lane. Interesting if it's true and it inspires confidence that Wenger is aware of Leady and Flappy and their distainct lack of faith-inspiring performances.
It is believed that Sol Campbell may very well start in place of Vermaelen on Sunday as the piston from the Belgian’s leg which snapped at Villa is being imported from Japan and has not yet arrived.
In what seemed to be the most protracted loan deal ever, Jack has finally went to Bolton. I think we've said all there is to say about this one. We know how they are a bunch of Neanderthal baby-eaters with as much football talent as Shrek (the cartoon one, not the Man U one) and can think of quite a few teams we'd have far rather seen one of the Arsenal future-legends go to, but maybe it'll toughen him up. Or break him. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
There are rumours (Portsmouth News) that we tried to nab Begovic from Portsmouth for £5m, but reports are that it was not enough to stop Harry rebuilding Portsmouth at White Hart Lane. Interesting if it's true and it inspires confidence that Wenger is aware of Leady and Flappy and their distainct lack of faith-inspiring performances.
It is believed that Sol Campbell may very well start in place of Vermaelen on Sunday as the piston from the Belgian’s leg which snapped at Villa is being imported from Japan and has not yet arrived.
Not content with making a prick out of himself post-match, Martin O'Neil has launched another scathing attack on Arsene, accusing him of getting “carried away with his own importance” and suggested that the Arsenal manager is guilty of double standards. Has nobody pointed out to this moron that Wenger didn't call his team a 'long ball' side and he was actually giving this ingrate a feckin compliment?
What an asshole. Like I said, you really have to think that MON is a touch sensitive to this whole long-ball thing. Apparently he even confronted Wenger after the match. You'd think he'd be more concerned with the fact that his team can't put the ball in the net and haven't been able to do so for some time. He might have been better served asking for goal-scoring tips than making an asshole out of himself. Read more here.
Listening to the Five Live podcast yesterday, in a desperate bid to find something to write about, it struck me how the whole world seems to be under the impression that it is only because that Man U were playing Man City that people are starting to take the Carling Cup seriously. But I beg to differ. As I've been saying for a long time, it has been Arsene Wenger and his policy of bleeding the best of his kids in this cup which has breathed new life into a competition which was deader than Liverpool's hopes of winning the Premier League in the next decade. But hey, why give Wenger any credit when you can give it all to Ferguson instead.
For research purposes I also found myself listening to the Spuds fancast, I suppose it's their version of 'It's Up For Grabs Now' except with zero humour. Actually, can you have minus humour, you know the opposite of humour. If you can, then that’s what this had. In fact, it was sooooo bad that I had to turn it off after only around five minutes. And that was five minutes in which I wasn’t even listening properly. I know its crapness won't surprise anyone, but what I did manage to hear was the stupidest sentence ever muttered by a Spud supporter (and this is supposed to be from a ‘professional’ supporter):
"We never get results away against teams which are supposed to be better than us."
That's because they're BETTER THAN YOU, you fucking muppet. I didn't think Spud's supporters could get any thicker, but once again, they have proven me wrong.
Just to fill some space, I thought you might find this funny. You might have seen it before, but that doesn't detract from its ability to give you a chuckle, though I wouldn't advise looking if you're eating:
Needless to say, on Sunday against Man United, we'll be hoping for one of these:
But I'm not fussy, I'll settle for a winner off Gallas's arse.
And that really is all there is today.
Team preview tomorrow.
Til then, enjoy your Arsenal-less Saturday.
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